When I say “exclusive sex-ed”, I mean sex education that divides children and teens into two groups to learn exclusively about one type of body, the body that is associated with the gender they were assigned at birth. I believe this practice is outdated and harmful and we should be teaching everyone about all types of bodies.
When it becomes age appropriate to teach our kids about puberty, those with vulvas should learn about penises and testosterone-based puberty. Those with penises should learn about vulvas and estrogen-based puberty. Everybody should talk about intersex bodies and be informed that people with ambiguous genitalia exist. Everyone should learn about the existence of micropenises, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and how to take care of foreskin regardless.
Ignorance Breeds Sexism
Purposely excluding how other people’s bodies work means imagination will take over where ignorance sits in the pursuit of knowledge. This is how we get adult cisgender men who believe completely false things about menstruation and vaginas and have the audacity to share their beliefs publicly, even affecting how they do their job where it can affect other peoples’ lives such as:
I’m not a gynecologist, but I can tell you something: If someone doesn’t want to have sexual intercourse, the body shuts down. The body will not permit that to happen unless a lot of damage is inflicted, and we heard nothing about that in this case
—Superior Court Judge Derek Johnson, Dec. 13, 2012
Tampons should not be free, why does everyone keep saying they should be?? if u can’t control ur bladder then that’s not taxpayers problem!
—Ryan ø (@ryanwilliams97) Oct. 16, 2016
In the reverse scenario, ignorance contributes to why 58% of newborns with a penis get circumcised in America for reasons that include “so they look like dad” (somebody actually told me this and it seems like a strange value to hold) when only 37% to 39% of the rest of the world does it for purely medical and religious purposes. Since people with vaginas aren’t taught about foreskin, these same people birth humans with penises and have no idea how to care for an intact newborn.
Sources & References
- Brian J. Morris, John N. Krieger, and Jeffrey D. Klausner, “Critical evaluation of unscientific arguments disparaging affirmative infant male circumcision policy” (Aug. 8, 2016). World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics.
- Roni Caryn Rabin, “Steep Drop Seen in Circumcisions in the U.S.” (Aug. 16, 2010). The New York Times.
- Karen Miles and Jennifer Shu, M.D., FAAP, “Circumcision in newborn boys” (Feb. 5, 2021). BabyCenter.
- Featured photo by Ralph (Ravi) Kayden on Unsplash.
Resources
I always encourage people to continue learning.
- Intact America® is the largest group working to end child genital cutting (aka circumcision) and to ensure healthy sexual futures for all people. We do this by challenging social and sexual norms, and empowering our supporters and volunteers through creative messaging, advocacy and education.
- The Circumcision Debate is a companion website by Intact America® where you can learn the history of circumcision in America and arguments for and against, plus a parent’s guide for talking about it with doctors.
- How to care for your child’s uncircumcised penis by BabyCenter, an educational content provider committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. Their content is doctor approved and evidence-based.
- Meredith Clark, “5 Women with PCOS explain why they choose to celebrate their facial hair” (May 30, 2018). Allure.
